2019 State of the Beverage Industry: Energy drinks maintain competitive edge

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:05:00 -0400

Function, flavor and convenience remain key growth drivers in the energy drinks and shots category.

2019 State of the Beverage Industry: Juice category challenged to maintain market share

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:04:00 -0400

Sales of traditional juice and juice drinks have been declining for several years as consumers seek to reduce sugar consumption and are foregoing traditional at-home breakfasts, which often featured orange juice as a staple.

Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. expands portfolio with cold-pressed line

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 07:00:00 -0400

Although cold temperatures often are a challenge for citrus crops, the practice of cold-pressing juices is helping Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. continue to bring fresh, functional juices to market.

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2017

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:00:00 -0400

Beverage Industry releases its annual Top 100 list. The list reflects the top beverage companies based on 2017 fiscal year sales.

Founders Brewing adds satellite warehouse, distribution facility

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 07:00:00 -0400

Ten years ago, Founders Brewing Co. moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. Since then, the now 20-year-old company has overtaken a full city block with its Grandville brewery and taproom. Outgrowing its space and with no room to expand at the location, last year Founders decided to expand beyond its main brewery to its own satellite facility on Hynes Street.

ITO EN expands lineup of ready-to-drink teas

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 07:04:00 -0400

The rich history of tea dates back to when it first was used as a medicinal drink in East Asia. As globalization progressed, tea drinking has become an international phenomenon, spreading across multiple cultures throughout thousands of years. Yet, as consumers’ tea tastes have evolved, Brooklyn, N.Y.- based ITO EN (North America) Inc., a division of Tokyo-based ITO EN Ltd., continues to build on its strong innovation heritage by introducing healthy, organic and non-GMO tea varietals while maintaining a strong focus on new product development, sustainability and authenticity.

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2016

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 07:02:00 -0400

Once again The Coca-Cola Co. and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) are flipping positions to claim the top spot in Beverage Industry's annual Top 100 Report. Based on 2016 financial sales, AB InBev reclaimed the No. 1 spot as sales were up more than $2 billion compared with 2015 financial sales.

Navigating the next generation of consumers

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Wed, 10 May 2017 07:06:00 -0400

Whether it’s social media platforms, mobile pay apps or an increasing acceptance of RFID chips in humans, technology has transformed everyday life for consumers.

Protein drinks benefit from diverse consumer base

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Wed, 10 May 2017 07:05:00 -0400

The growing desire among consumers to lead more healthful lifestyles has placed an emphasis on functional beverages that feature a variety of benefits. Among them, sports and protein drinks have experienced steady growth as consumers engage in more active lives and are proactive about their health and wellness.

Celsius gains sales, distribution

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Wed, 10 May 2017 07:03:00 -0400

Maintaining overall fitness used to be considered a niche interest. Founded in 2004, Boca Raton, Fla.-based Celsius Holdings Inc. has experienced the impact of the growing demand for health-and-wellness products in the mainstream market.

Category management, merchandising position products for success

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Wed, 10 May 2017 07:01:00 -0400

Although more than half of consumers have purchased milk, juice and/or carbonated soft drinks in the past 30 days, sales were stagnant during 2014-2015 with top categories struggling to grab consumer attention, according to Chicago-based Mintel’s June 2016 “Beverage Packaging Trends” report.

Demand increases for probiotic drinks

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Wed, 10 May 2017 07:00:00 -0400

There’s an idiom that talks about listening to one’s gut as a way to ward off something that doesn’t feel right. After the brain, the gastrointestinal tract, or gut, is the nervous system’s second-biggest network of closely interconnected neurons that greatly impacts overall health and well-being, experts say.

Cheerwine celebrates 100 years of success

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:06:00 -0400

Despite an atmosphere in which many carbonated soft drinks have struggled to maintain sales, Cheerwine, a brand of Salisbury, N.C.-based Carolina Beverage Corp., has experienced continual growth, both in sales and distribution.

Spirits grow market share for 7th straight year

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:04:00 -0400

In celebration of their good fortune, the milkman Tevye and the butcher Lazar Wolf famously sing “To life, to life, l’chaim” while drinking shots of schnapps to their “good health and happiness” in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”

2017 Soft Drink Report: What’s next for carbonated soft drinks?

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:02:00 -0400

Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) have long been the top seller in the U.S. beverage market based on volume. Last month, however, New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) announced that U.S. volume sales of bottled water eclipsed CSDs in 2016, making it the No. 1 consumed packaged beverage. This shift followed more than a decade’s worth of single-digit volume declines for soft drinks.

Trimino Brands grows four-fold past two years

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:01:00 -0400

Like many parents, Bob Leary, Peter Dacey and Casey Hoban wanted to provide their children with healthy foods and beverages. With that goal in mind, the three fathers came together with a vision to create a beverage that offered a functional benefit without the excess calories that many child athletes were consuming, explains Leary, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Trimino Brands Co. LLC, Branford, Conn.

Variety, premiumization drive on-premise channel

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 08:00:00 -0400

Regardless of whether consumers are drinking beer, wine or spirits when dining out, suggested food pairings and recommendations from influencers, like bartenders and wait staff, can motivate consumers to try something new or trade up to a more premium product.

Stone Brewing expands global presence

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 07:03:00 -0500

In the mid-1990s, when the craft beer movement still was in relative infancy, Stone Brewing co-founders Greg Koch and his homebrewing partner Steve Wagner were busy experimenting with beer recipes and bemoaning the “industrial fizzy yellow stuff.”

Kombucha market up 41 percent

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 07:02:00 -0500

Although it has been available in the U.S. beverage market for about 15 years, kombucha has gained broad consumer appeal within the past several years, according to New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation’s (BMC) September 2016 report titled “U.S. Ready-To-Drink Tea through 2020.” As health and wellness has progressed from a niche interest to mass consumer appeal, this beverage segment has reaped the benefits.

Tio Gazpacho expands distribution

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 07:01:00 -0500

When Austin Allan traveled to Madrid to study abroad in 2001, he did not know that the upbeat people, culture and lively, rich flavors of Spain that he “fell in love with” would result in a new livelihood: Tio Gazpacho.

Drug stores struggle for growth, beverages outperform channel

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 07:00:00 -0500

As consumers’ shopping behaviors continue to evolve, the drug store channel has seen a boon within beverage aisles. Although the channel is struggling to grow, beverages could offer potential for the channel going forward as these stores expand their offerings, says Evan Hoffman, industry research analyst at Los Angeles-based IBISWorld.

2017 Beer Report: Domestic brewers look to combat volume declines

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:05:00 -0500

Just like the stock market has seen its share of highs and lows, the U.S. beer market also has had its own ebbs and flows. Despite some single-digit declines that were peppered in throughout the past decade, the beer market seems to have leveled out, experts note.

2017 Beer Report: Imported beers outperform other beer segments

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:04:00 -0500

The trades taking place on Wall Street often can come with a sense of urgency and anxiety for brokers and their respective clients. However, consumers also are opting to “trade up” when it comes to their beer selection.

2017 Beer Report: Craft beer up single-digits in 2016

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:02:00 -0500

After many years of double-digit gains in volume and dollar sales in the United States, the craft beer market could be approaching a status of maturation, according to market analysts.

2017 Beer Report: Hard cider declines continues

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:01:00 -0500

Although premiumization trends have provided growth for domestic beers through super-premium brands as well as import and craft beers, the hard cider segment has not been as fortunate.

2017 Beer Report: Hard sodas, seltzer help FMB segment continue its growth

jacobsenj@bnpmedia.com (Jessica Jacobsen) — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 07:00:00 -0500

CNBC’s “Mad Money with Jim Cramer” rarely is short on advice when it comes to the next hot stock. For the beer market, the release and sales of numerous hard sodas and seltzers helped contribute to the “hot” performance of the flavored malt beverage (FMB)/progressive adult beverage (PAB) segment in 2016.

Sugar aversion, regulations benefit use stevia, erythritol and monk fruit in beverages

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:00:00 -0500

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new Nutrition Facts label, in conjunction with continued consumer demand for transparency, less sugar and clean-label products, have resulted in an increased demand for natural, non-caloric, high-intensity sweeteners (HIS), like stevia, monk fruit and erythritol.

Voss Water of Norway expands to retail, international markets

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:06:00 -0500

As the bottled water market has ridden a high tide of success in the past several years, many players in the market have experienced likened success. Founded in 2001, New York-based Voss Water of Norway established itself as an ultra-premium bottled water brand that was exclusively offered in high-end on-premise accounts.

Sparkling wines, red wine blends fastest-growing segments

harfmannb@bnpmedia.com (Barbara Harfmann) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:04:00 -0500

Capping several years of steady, modest growth for both domestic and import wines, the wine market in the United States continues to grow, experts note. Fueled by consumers’ interest in fine wine and increased product launches, the market has grown “at mid-single-digit rates on dollars [and] smaller single-digit rates on volume as consumers continue to trade up to more expensive wines,” says Danny Brager, senior vice president of beverage alcohol for New York-based Nielsen. “Sparkling wines in particular continue to grow dynamically at double-digit rates.”

Health and wellness gains accessibility, affordability

Delbuonoa@bnpmedia.com (Amanda Del Buono) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:02:00 -0500

Once a niche category within the beverage market, better-for-you products have found a home in the mainstream market during the past several years as more consumers focus on their overall health and wellness.

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